The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-03
The Tennessee Prohibition Contest,

The Tennessee Prohibition Contest
The latest returns from Tennessee show
that prohibition has been defeated in that
State by majority of between 1900 and
10000. The vote cast was a large one
larger than that of any previous election,
with the exception of that of the Presl-
dental election of 1884. This shows that
the people are deeply interested in the pro-
hibition question, and iustifies the predic-
ton that the prohibition issue will be pre-
scented again in Tennessee though it may not
take the shape of an amendment to the con
stitution.
The Prohibitionists have suffered three
great defeats this year The first was in
Michigan. The question of prohibiting the
manufacture and sale of Intoxicating liquors
in that State by an amendment to the CON
stitution was voted on in April. The cam
paign which preceded the election was an
exciting one, and the vote was remarkable
for its size. The majority against the
amendment was small, not being quite
5000. The next notable contest was in
Texas. The campaign was the most ex-
citing one in the history of the State.
Money, speakers and printed matter for and
against prohibition were freely furnished
by those outside Of the State
who were interested in the
contest. The result was a triumph
for the Observation-Disclosures who defeated
the amendment by a majority of over 90,
600 The election in Tennessee last week
closed the State prohibition contests for
this year Doubtless other States will try
in the near future to enforce prohibition by
amendments to their constitutions. The
Prohbitionists will hardly be satisfied with
their present experience in attempting to
advance prohibition by means of constitu-
tional amendments.
IL is somewhat remarkable that they re-
fuse to recognize the advantages which
local option possesses over all other methods
for advancing the cause of temperance. 1t
is slower than the constitutional amend
ment method, but it is certainly surer and
much more satisfactory. If the Prohi-
bitionists had been successful in Michigan,
Texas or Tennessee it is doubtful if they
could have reaped the fruits they expected
from victory. In Maine, where prohibition
has prevailed for years, it has never been
found possible to enforce the prohibitory
laws Intoxicating liquors are sold there
almost as freely in the cities and larger
towns as if laws against their sale did not
exist
The truth is that prohibition is successful
only where public sentiment is strongly in
its favor. Each community must be con
verted to prohibition before the sale of in
toxicating liquors can be stopped The
great advantage of local option is that
towns and counties adopt prohibition only
when they are ripe for it, Public sentiment
in them is in favor of it, and the officers of
the law are always ready to enforce
laws which are supported by pub
he sentiment. If the Prohibitionists
had carried the prohibition amendment
in Texas what would have been the result.
The law would have been enforced, perhaps,
in those portions of the State which fur
nished the prohibition majorities, and
would have been dead letter in the por-
tions which voted against prohibition The
enforcement of the law in some parts of the
State and not in others would have been
the cause of dissatisfaction and trouble, and
in a little while it would have been impossi-
BILE to enforce the law anywhere.
In the States where the irohibitionists are
depending upon the local option method they
are meeting with gratifying success. In
this State, and in Florida, Mississippi and
Missouri they are gaining county after
county. If they are temperate in their
conduct and wise in their management, in
the course of a very few years they will
have control of all these States, and perhaps
others; and their control will be of a kind
that is permanent. 1t will rest upon the
convictions of the majority, and it will not
be possible to change it into the hands of the
opponents of temperance. In this State,
except in very few instances, no attempt
has been made to undo what local option
has done, and it is doubtful if any attempt
would be successful
If the truth could be got at it would ap-
pear, doubtless, that those who were chiefly
instrumental in trying to enforce prohi-
bition by means of prohibitory constitu-
tional amendments in Michigan, Texas and
Tennessee were politicians who hoped to
advance their political fortunes by means
of prohibition. Local option is not at
tractive to politicians, because it holds out
deal to the cause of temperance, however,
and ought therefore to be favored by
genuine temperance workers.